A" pedal not raising 5 string B

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 29 May 2005 12:34 pm

I'll contact MSA on Tuesday but I figure I'd ask the forum. My high B string is no longer raising to C# when I press my A pedal (I have the Day set up so it is really my 3rd pedal). I know nothing about the mechanics of the steel, so if anyone has any suggestions, let me know.

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 29 May 2005 3:34 pm

Maybe the ball end of a broken string is jammed in the changer.

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 29 May 2005 7:06 pm

Flip it over and look at it.

jim flynn · Post by **jim flynn** » 30 May 2005 8:53 am

Not knowing much about the new MSA's, or which you have I think that you may want to back off the tuning nut and retune that 5th string . I have seen countless tuning nuts
overtightened, some all the way thru the blind end, and lots of the open ended ones too! If the finger is not obstructed by a string ball, check the bellcrank to see if it is in line with the others, it could have slipped, especialy on the round cross shafts.
hope this helps!
Jim Flynn
Lone Star Steel Guitar

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Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 30 May 2005 10:50 am

Okay,

Forgive my ignorance of the terms. I turned it over, here is what seems to be happening:

1. the rod that goes into the (bellcrank?) is remaining stationary when the bellcrank moves back. In otherwords there does not seem to be enough tension on the rod to make it stay with the bellcrank when the crossrod rotates the bellcrank back. It just sits there and comes slightly out of the slot where the rod attaches to the bellcrank.

If this helps: all this happened when I was tuning the pedals. I couldn't get a pedal to change and I really rotated the pedal tuners back before I realized I was tuning the wrong strong. After that it wouldn't raise anymore.

Don Poland · Post by **Don Poland** » 30 May 2005 11:22 am

Bill, it sounds like the small allen head set screw that holds the pull rod may be loose or possible the pull rod has been stripped flat in the spot where the allen screw is making contact. Try checking the tightness of the allen screw and possibly rotating the rod just a bit to make good contact. Those small bushings that have the set screw can still be bought from suppliers both here on the forum and other places.

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1974 MSA D10 7+4
If you ain't steelin' it, you ain't feelin' it !!

www.steelin4fun.com

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 30 May 2005 11:44 am

"I couldn't get a pedal to change and I really rotated the pedal tuners back before I realized I was tuning the wrong string."

Sound like you mistakenly lowered the pitch of your A pedal raise.
Make sure you have the tuning wrench on the correct endplate-tuner for the 5th string, A-pedal, B-to-C# raise.
Press pedal A down (I usually tune this note with both A and B down), and see what note the tuner tells you you are at.
Turn the tuner (I'm guessing Clockwise) untill you reach the desired note.

FWIW, You shouldn't have to turn any of the endplate tuners too much, assuming you are staying with the factory setup.
Once setup, they are really only for fine tuning.

Winston Street · Post by **Winston Street** » 1 Jun 2005 1:47 pm

Sounds to me like Bobby Lee may be right.. You said slot in the bellcrank. Makes me think this is a new MSA. The old ones had holes that the bushings for the pull rods fit in.. It sounds like a broken string is jammed in your changer holding the changer in the sharped position.. Look at your changer fingers and see if they are all lined up or if the one that is not raising is sticking forward more than the others. If it is, it is either stuck or has a string ball stuck in it. Also, sometimes the changers can move side ways a small amount, allowing the tab, that has the holes for the pull rods, to hang on the one side of it. You might want to check this also.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Winston Street on 01 June 2005 at 06:24 PM.]</p></FONT>